Western Electric telegraph repeater and sounder, 1875-1900

Morse code is a form of communication composed of dots (“dits”) and dashes (“dahs”). Though relatively simple, a telegraph operator would have to perfectly memorize each combination of dits and dahs to properly spell out the transmitted message.

In this activity, students will begin to recognize the morse alphabet, and understand how those simple sounds can be translated into intricate messages.

Two different colored beads (enough to write out a name)

1.      Distribute morse code translation sheets to all students. Have students write out their name on scrap paper, and then below that translate each letter into its designated morse code.

2.      Have students pick two different bead colors, one to represent “dits” and the other “dahs”

3.      Either tie a knot in the string to keep beads from falling off, or tape the edge of the string to the worktable.

4.      Using their scrap paper notes as a guide, have the students string beads onto their twine to represent the dits and dahs of their name

5.      When finished, trim the end of the twine while leaving an extra 1.5 inches of blank space. This blank space will be knotted to the keychain loop so that it can hang.

Compare the lengths of the different keychains. Is there a correlation between name length and message length? How might telegraph senders have gotten around the problem of long messages with long words? Where else do we use those same text-shortening techniques? (Hint: check your phone!)

When finished, mix up all of the keychains in a shared container. Can students identify theirs by their name? This will work best if all students have used the same color beads.

Standards for Morse Code Keychain